The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-03-01
THE EVIL OMEN.
A Tale Of Life and Death at
Schwartzberg.

at has happened again. So all the
idlerS said at the Golden Dragon"
1T has happened again So the
old kelmer of the Schwartzberg said,
and the servants repeated it; and that
was how they had the news at the
Golden Dragon" and all over the vii
lace before night.
How il happened was a mystery. but
there WAS no DENYING it. If any of the
noble folks at the SchWartZberg were
going to die something in the castle
was sure Ia fall with no human hand
Dear-no loophole for explaining why
the crash should come before the death,
and not at any other time. The omen
had begun again in these days. after a
lapse of century. The old kelner's
father,who had kept the keys long ago,
had told strange tales about it. He
had only heard them in his youth, but
they were very strange tales, and the
"Iolden Dragon" and the village In
general decided that they were not to
be explained away But il Was much
more satisfactory when at the present
time the evil omen began TO show it,
self again. 1t was no grandmother
story now. but reality. IAr gossip
and excitement went on with ShudderS
and whispers: it was SD pleasant tO
have something To shudder about.
Why, if nobody had died after the
great stays head fell in the hall the
Golden Dragon would have been
downright sorry.
But as it happened. the little boy
the old Baron's grandson and heir
fell on the Black Mountain the very
dav after and broke his neck. That
was only three months ago. And now
the great mirror in the tapestried draw
ing room had fallen. 1t was certainly
the old Baron that was to 90 of this
time The village waited breathless to
know. Home went Fritz Hartmann
with news on the Saturday night. He
was i'm worse humOr than usual: that
is saying great deal for Fritz Hart
mann, for he was the blacklist man I'm
the village; and who he was or what he
was thinking of w;s all mystery.
Flowers, fatheSr' said the bright
haired child, wanting to he noticed
..GO to bedr said Hartmann, and drop
ped the flowers and kicked them away.
ANY news?" his buxom. good
hundred wife asked. The blacklist
mood Fritz could be in was never too
black to stop her smile; many gath
eI'ing thunderstorm was laughed of
by Martha.
why should there he news?" he
said savagely, tlinging his coat aside and
throwing himself on seat with his hat
still on. Love in cottage has many
drawbacks, and the absence of manners
is one of them.
The brisk and buXom Martha popped
the child into bed and began to make
Fritz's supper hot. There was no fear
in her nature, and great deal of curl
osity.
Il wanted To hear about the poor dear
old Baron" said Martha.
He is dying, they say" growled
Fritz.
''Ohi Poor old man.
"Why?" said the husband. He paid
us for my bit of carving. What need
we care?'
Yes, we should care, my wicked old
Fritz"-shaking him by the shoulder.
''H poor man died." said Fritz.
''theywould shovel him into the ground
and forget him. Why should not the rich
die, too? He has the govt; it would be
a comfort to the old fellow to die
Martha had prayed that he might not
die for many year, govt or no govt
he had been so good to her long ago,
when her parents died and she was
taken to the castle to feed the chickens
and the ducks in the yard. Fritz did a
bit OF wood carving as well as his daily
work. Tourists bought his carving in
summer, It was bought at the castle,
too. e had carried his brackets and
frames to the Schwartzberg Castle so Of
ten that he was free of the servants hall
any day. and when he took the carved
chair on Thursday the Baron had made
him bring it into the library with his
own hands. 1t Was ungrateful of Fritz
to be glad that III" Door old Baron was
dying; but then Fritz was always growl.
ing at the castle folks and grumbling al
his own poverty.
After supper he went out to the
''Golden Dragon and lolled with the
idlers on the benches outside the inn.